Telescopic sights, commonly referred to as scopes, are often used in connection with firearms to assist hunters, military personnel and target shooters in aiming at desired targets. Typically, a scope is mounted to a firearm such that a shooter may look through the scope to view and aim at a target. A number of shooting conditions impact the trajectory of a bullet upon being fired. Such shooting conditions include, for example, gravity, distance to the target, wind speed, wind direction, elevation relative to sea level, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity and air density, in addition to the bullet's caliber, weight, muzzle velocity and ballistics coefficient. Upon a change in one or more of these conditions, a user typically is required to adjustment the scope in order to account for such change. Adjustments to the scope may be made by turning an adjustment dial or turret. Conventional turrets include incremental markings that indicate the amount of adjustment undertaken through the turret's rotation.
Users often desire to use a single scope in a variety of shooting conditions. For example, in one instance a user may want to use the scope at a low elevation location having a high air density, while in another instance the user may want to use the same scope at a high elevation location having a low air density. Users also routinely use a single scope to shoot at targets at a variety of distances. In a single hunt or mission, a user will want the ability to shoot at targets both near and far. Additionally, users regularly use a single scope with a variety of ammunition. For example, in one instance a user may use the scope while shooting a first bullet having a first weight and ballistics coefficient, while in another instance the user may use the same scope while shooting a second bullet having a second weight and ballistics coefficient. Further, users sometimes desire to swap a single scope between two or more firearms. A typical scope may include a turret that can adjust the scope to account for some of these shooting condition changes, however, there is a limit to the adjustment that a single turret can make.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,001,714 and 8,365,455 to Aaron Davidson, both entitled “Ballistics Systems and Methods,” teach a system and method for making turrets that are customized to the shooting conditions under which the scope and firearm are expected to be used. Different turrets may be created for different shooting conditions. Davidson also teaches a system wherein a plurality of turrets may be interchangeably used with a single scope. As such, a first turret may be used when the user is shooting in a first set of shooting conditions and a second turret may be used when the user is shooting in a second set of shooting conditions.
Shooting conditions can change almost instantaneously during a single hunt or mission. For example, the distance to a specific target may change or the decision to use a different type of bullet may occur within a matter of seconds. However, as taught by Davidson, in order to exchange one turret with another turret, the user must disconnect and remove the first turret from the scope and replace it with the second turret. The task of disconnecting and removing one turret and replacing it with another turret requires an amount of time that can be the difference between getting a shot off and not getting a shot off. In the case of a hunter, this amount of time may allow the hunted game to escape the hunter's line of sight or range. In the case of a military marksman, this amount of time may allow an enemy combatant to escape the marksman's line of sight or range or even allow the enemy combatant to fire a shot at the marksman.
Further yet, when multiple interchangeable turrets are used in connection with a single scope, the turrets, when not in use (i.e., detached to the scope), are loose parts that become easily lost.
Accordingly, a need exists for a turret system that is suitable and calibrated for use in a variety of shooting conditions. A need also exists for a turret system that provides a user with instant access to multiple turrets thereby enabling a user to quickly adjust a scope upon a change in shooting conditions. A further need exists for a turret system having multiple turrets concurrently attached to a single scope, each turret being customized for a specific set of shooting conditions.